Train to hotel transport

Keep your valuables in a moneybelt and be alert when passing through the train station. There are taxi ranks outside all the train stations in Paris. There should be signs or ask someone "taxi?" Get in line and take a taxi when it is your turn. Have the name and address of your hotel written on a piece of paper. show this to the taxi driver if your French isn't fluent. Official taxis have meters visible to passengers. I don't think the station you mention is the name of a train station. It doesn't really matter which station you arrive at. That will be the end of the line.

Thank you so much. That really helps.

Tammy, the wording of your post leads me to believe that you expect to be accosted by thieves as soon as you step off the train Relax and enjoy your stay. If your "valuables" include a diamond tiara, just don't wear it outdoors. By the way, there is no railway station called Champs-Elysees, but every station has signs that will lead you to the taxi rank outside.

Last time we came into Gard du Nord (North train station), we went to the tourist information booth in the train station for assistance. Nobody in the tourist booth spoke English. This is the train station where the Eurostar comes into from London bringing thousands of English tourists. Only in Paris.

If you're coming in from Germany by train, it will be the Gare du Nord or Gare de l'Est. (If you pass through Belgium, it's Gare du Nord, otherwise Est.) There are taxi ranks at both. Make sure you go to the proper rank, don't believe any touts who offer to get you a cab faster.

No one needs to go to the Tourist Info booth at Gare du Nord to get a taxi. Follow the dozens of signs that say TAXI. By the way, I have never had a problem at the Gare du Nord info booth. They always speak English and probably German and Spanish as well.

I have been to the info booth at several Paris stations - Nord, Est, Lyon and Montparnasse. Although I speak a fair amount of French I have never encountered any lack of English speakers at them.

Tammy- Glad you asked this question because I was concerned over the taxi experience in general. Have people found the taxi drivers to be straight forward in getting to destinations and not taking 'the scenic route" to add up the fare? We are 4 adults arriving via air and we are not certain whteher we should do a taxi or shuttle- since it may come out about the same finacially.

Diane: I've only taken a few taxis in Paris, but have never had any problems. Do be aware that because of the many one-way streets, your driver may seem to be taking an indirect route, when in fact he/she is taking the best one allowed. And do not expect your driver to speak English, and be happily surprised if he/she does. It is important to have your hotel's full name and address, including the postal code (5 digits starting with 75), printed out to show the driver. Paris has MANY hotels, and the drivers need the full address to be sure to find yours. If the hotel website has a printable map, I've found this helpful as well (one hotel I've stayed in several times is on a small side street that seems to stump the cabbies).

Diane---you might be better off with a shuttle. Not all cabs will take 4 people, let alone 4 people with luggage. You need a van, so you might have to go down the line at the taxi stand to find one. We found many drivers unwilling to take 4 people (2 adults and 2 teens) in downtown Paris even without luggage. They often do not want anyone sitting in the front seat. I even offered (in French) to hold the dog on my lap but no dice.